LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle review

Earlier this week, the brand new#71043 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle became available for LEGO VIP members (general release will be on September 1st). This is currently one of the most talked about sets in LEGO fan communities and on social media, and for good reasons. For some, it was an instant buy, while others are still on the fence about it. It’s a massive model that comes with a hefty price tag, so it makes sense to hear the opinions of other LEGO fans, and read and watch reviews before pulling out your wallet. 🙂

The designer-video by the LEGO set designer and graphic designer was very interesting (watch here), however, it is still a good idea to watch independent reviews from LEGO fans who are not affiliated with the LEGO Group. Fortunately, yesterday JANGBRiCKS uploaded his own review with both the positive and negative (yes, there are some) aspects of the set. This is a big set, so the review is long (about 40 minutes), but you will have a chance to check out all the details and features. So sit back, and enjoy to tour of the Hogwarts Castle!

The video was very informative, isn’t it? I appreciate JANG covering not just what he appreciated about the set, but also some of the features that could have been done better, like including more of the iconic buildings (and less interior details), having less stickers, and avoiding building techniques that put elements under stress. I also found the comparison pictures at the end of the video very helpful, with the #71043 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle next to other large LEGO sets, like the #71040 LEGO Disney Castle, LEGO Modular Buildings, #75159 LEGO Star Wars Death Star, some large LEGO Technic sets, and more. Hopefully, the review will help you make a more informed decision when deciding to purchase this set.

For your convenience, I’m also reposting the official description of the set with all the stats and details to aid you in watching the review: Make the magic come alive at the #61043 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle! This highly detailed LEGO Harry Potter collectible has over 6,000 pieces and offers a rewarding build experience. It comes packed with highlights from the Harry Potter series, where you will discover towers, turrets, chambers, classrooms, creatures, the Whomping Willow and Hagrid´s hut, plus many more iconic features. Includes 4 minifigures: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw, with a buildable minifigure display stand. Also features 27 microfigures: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Professor Dolores Umbridge, Argus Filch, Lord Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange, 3 students from each of the 4 houses, 2 chess pieces and the Architect of Hogwarts statue, and 5 Dementors, plus Aragog the spider and the Basilisk figures, and a buildable Hungarian Horntail dragon. Hogwarts Castle measures over 22” (58cm) high, 27” (69cm) wide and 16” (43cm) deep. 6,020 pieces. Price: $399.99 – BUY HERE

What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle? Did you find the review informative? Did it change your mind in regards to purchasing or passing on this set? Are there any features that you really like or don’t like? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉

Over the weekend I visited our local Lego store and they had the completed model on display. It’s not quite as big as I had imagined but it’s still (to me) an impressive set. As far as plans to buy this model? I recently made a list of sets and this one landed on ‘I can dream, can I” because at this price and other sets I really want or would like to get ahead of this one, it’s down the list at #10 right now. So it’s a wait and see. Plus again, tight on space. 😀

I have the opposite feeling about seeing it at the store. I prefer NOT to see it fully-built before I get it. I want to experience the discovery of seeing it come together as I build it.

For the same reason I didn’t want to watch the full-length video.. though I probably should, to see all the details. I’m a bit concerned about the mention of stickers. Really? I HATE stickers. For $400 give us printed pieces. (same criticism I have for the big orange Porsche).

I do like how they included the 4 minifigs on a stand and they are the founders of the houses. It would be silly to give us more Harry and Ron and regular characters, so I thought it was nice to give us a display piece with some Hogwarts history.

I may get this but honestly will wait for double-VIP or a special bonus promo. I was surprised it didn’t go to “backorder” on the first day. The $300 Technic crane is also looking very appealing, though.

Hm… that’s totally understandable about not wanting to see the set before building. However, when there is a lot of $$$ at stake, some people want to make sure that they definitely want to get it. With large sets like this, display space can be an issue as well.

As far as stickers, JANG said there are over 70 stickers in the set, including some large panel stickers. I suppose some of them could be left out, but yeah, there are a lot of them. Fortunately, the windows are printed.

LEGO managed the distribution of this set a lot better than the Falcon. They got a lot of backlash for that, so they have been trying to improve. This is the first time they allowed pre-orders at official LEGO stores, so they had a better idea what to expect, and people didn’t have to panic (or stand in long lines) to get it on the first day. Hopefully, this trend will continue with future large releases.

I bought this set myself as an investment. I won’t be opening it to play for myself. I hope I can keep away my temptation from doing so. Once this set retires, I’m certain it will go up in value quickly just like other prior Harry Potter castle sets. So, it’s being stashed away for now until this set becomes retired.